Piano-pedal.



PIANO PEDAL'. (Application med my'n', 1901.)

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@wi/W emes l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX e.. wiT'rMAN, or JoNEsBoEo, ARKANSAS.

PIANO-PEDAL.

SEGXFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 6493,477, dated February 18, 1902.

Application led May 11, 1901-,

.To a/ZZ when?, 25 may concern:

Beit known that I, MAX G.W1TTMAN, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Jonesboro, in the county of C raighead and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Piano-Pedal,of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to pianos, and more particularly to an improvement in the pedal mechanism thereof, whereby to render the pedals accessible to persons of any stature.

Asis well known, the proper use of the pedals of a piano is almost as necessary an essential to good playing as is the skilful manipulation of the` keys. With pianos of the ordinary construction the pedals are not accessible to children, so that while a child who has been carefully trained may be a good performer, yet the music will lack the proper expression, owing to the fact that he'can'not use the pedals.

The object of the present invention is toA provide an attachment that will be readily applicable to pianos of the ordinary make without necessitating any change in the interior arrangement of its partsand by which a child who is old enough to learn to play the piano may at the same time begin to learn the use of the pedals. In the case of an ordinary concert or parlor grand piano my invention may be applied by's'upplying'pedal-rods constructed in accordance with my invention. In the case of upright pianos, however, it will be necessary to provide openings or slots in the front panel of the lower portion of the piano through which the pedals are to Work'.

Wit-h the above and other objects in view the invention consists, generally stated, in providing the lower front panel of a piano 'with a plurality of vertical slots and arranging a toothed pedal-rod back ofeach slot and on the inside of the piano, and in combining with each roda pedal vhaving a spring-actuated bolt accessible from the outside, the bolt to engage the teeth of the rod to hold the pedal at the desired adjustment thereon.

The invention consists,further,in the novel vconstruction and combination of parts of a pedal attachment for pianos, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like Serial No. 59,860. (No model.)

ing more particularly the connection between` the pedal-rod and Apedal-board. Fig. 3- is a detached detail View of the pedal, showing the manner in which the same is constructed to'carry my invention into effect. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in section showing more particularly the constructionv of the pedal-rod and the locking mechanism of the pedal. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a part of the pedal mechanism. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail sectional view showing the pedal in its lowest position. Fig. 7 is a detached detail view in perspective exhibiting a modified form of connection between one of the pedal-rods and the pedal projection.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the front panel of the lower portion of an upright piano, the same in this instance being provided with three vertical slots 2, these correspending in number to the number of pedals employed. It will be understood that it' there are but two pedals there will be but two slots. Back of and in alinement with these slots are arranged three pedal-rods 3, the same being guided near their upper ends in a keeper 4,

lsecured to the panel, the lower ends of the rods being seated in an opening 5, formed in the outer end of the pedal projection 5a. About and in alineme'nt with the upper end of each rod is a stop or abutment 6a to limit the range of movement of the rod and also'to prevent disengagement between it and the pedal projection 5 when the pedals are being movedupward on the rod to effect the desired adjustment. The inner end of the pedal projection 5a is pivoted within a block 7 a, secured to the iioor of the piano, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, this being the usualmanner of supporting this end of the rod, and inter` mediate of its ends is secured a rod S, that ICO connects the pedal projection with the pedallever 9*. The outer end of the pedal projection is provided with a step l0, through which extends the opening 5, this opening being square or other than round and to be engaged by the reduced lower end Il of the rod 3, the end being shaped to lit the contour of the opening 5, so that by the coaction between these parts the pedal-rods are securely held against having any lateral movement. The rods are provided with teeth G, spaced apart at any desired distance, and these teeth are engaged by a spring-bolt 7, carried by the pedal, the face of the teeth being by preference undercut or beveled, as shown in Fig. 2, to assist the bolt in seating itself, although, if desired, these faces may be straight. The spring-bolt 7 works in keepers 8, carried by the under side of the pedal, and is normally projected into the pedal-rod opening 9 by a coiled spring l0, one end of the spring bearing against one of the keepers and the other end against a pin 11, passed through the bolt. The end of the bolt under the head of the pedal is formed into a curved finger-piece 12, by which the bolt may be retracted when it is desired to shift the pedal up or down upon A the rod. The pedal-rod is shown in this instance as circular in cross-section, although it may be of any other preferred contour, and in order that the pedals may be held against any swinging or lateral movement thereon the face 13 of the bolt that fits in the notches Gis square, and the walls of the teeth are similarly shaped, so that by coaction between the two square surfaces the pedal will be rigidly held in position against lateral movement. It is to be understood that each of the pedal-rods and the accessories of the pedal are the same, so that in describing one the series will have been explained.

In the event this pedal attachment is to be applied to a piano already manufactured the only change that would have to be made would be to provide the panel with the slots 2, cut the pedal projection in two, provide the front end with the orifice 5 to receive the pedal-rod, and apply thereto the adjustable pedal.

Instead of providing the lower end of the pedal-rod with a square pintle to engage with a similar-shaped opening in the pedal projection 5 I may, as shown in Fig. 7, have the outer end of the pedal projection bifurcated, as at 5b, and associate the reduced lower end lla of the rod withy the bifurcated portion of the pedal projection by a pivot 3a, this arrangement permitting the pedal-rod to move in a vertical line while the pedal projection will move through the arc of a circle.

The operation of the device will be apparent. Suppose the pedals to be in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and it be desired to raise them to the position shown in full lines in the same figure. To eiect this, it will be only necessary to grasp the lingerpiece l2 and move the bolt out of engagement with the teeth, lift the pedal to the desired point, and then release the bolt. When the pedal is in its lowest position, the end of the stop 10a is engaged by the end of the springbolt, as shown in Fig. 6, this arrangement being adapted to permit the pedal to come as close to the Hoor as may be necessary.

While the pedal-rods are described as being provided with teeth and the bolt with a squared head to fit therebetween, it will be obvious that, if preferred,-the end of the bolt may be reduced and the pedal-rods provided with openings or orifices in which the reduced end will fit.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that an adjustment of the pedals to bring them within reach of the player may be easily and readily effected and that the addition of this improvement to a piano, owing to the fact that it will require no change in the structural arrangement of the same other than the provision of the slots`2 in the panel, may be cheaply and readily effected, the only addition required being the notched pedalrods and the bolt-carrying pedals.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus describedthe invention, what I claim is- 1. A piano having its lower front panel provided with vertical slots, and pedal-rods arranged back of the slots within the piano, in combination with the pedals vertically adj ustable on the rods and moving in the slots and having their outer ends exposed outside the piano.

2. A piano havingits lowerfront panel provided with vertical slots, and toothed pedalrods arranged back of the slots within the piano and supported for vertical movement,- in combination with pedals having means for engaging the teeth of the pedal-bars to hold IOC the pedal at the desired adjustment and moving in the slots and having their outer ends exposed outside the piano.

3. A piano havingits lower front panel provided with vertical slots, and toothed pedalrods mounted back of and in alinement with the slots within the piano, in combination with pedals having spring-actuated bolts to engage the teeth of the rod and moving in the slots and having their outer ends exposed outside the piano.

4. A piano having its lower front panel provided with vertical slots, and pedal-rods mounted back of the slots within the piano and provided with notches the walls of which are straight, in combination with pedals carrying bolts having straight ends engaging the notches, the pedals moving in the slots and pedals on the rods,means carried by the pedals for engaging the teeth of the rods, stops arranged above the rods to limit their vertical movement, and pedal projections within lthe piano having openings engaged by the lower ends of the pedal-rods.

6. A piano having its lower front panel provided vvith vertical slots, toothed pedal-rods mounted back of the slots within the piano,

pedals onthe rods,means carried by the pedalsl v for engaging the teeth of the rods, stops arranged above the rods to limit their vertical movement, and pedal projections within the piano having square openings to be engaged by the similarly-shaped lower ends of 4the pedal-rods.

7. lA piano having its lower front panel provided with vertical slots, toothed pedal-rods mounted' back of the slots within the piano, and having their lower ends reduced to present square pintles, pedals mounted for movement on the rods, and carrying means for` engaging the teeth thereof,stops arranged above the pedal-rods to limit their upward movement, and pedal projections within the piano and having square openings to be engaged by the square pintles of the pedal-rods.

8. An attachment for pianos comprising a pedal-rod provided on one side with teeth the faces of which-are undercut, the spaces between the teeth forming notches, in combination with a pedal carrying a spring-pressed bolt having at one end an enlarged flattened head to` engage the notches between the teeth and at the other end a finger-hold.

In ltestimony that I claim the foregoing `as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

` o MAX G. WITTMAN.

Witnesses J. K.v MALONE, FRANK BARRETT. 

